8vo (7 5/8 x 5 1/8 in.; 194 x 130 mm). Portrait photograph as frontispiece; light marginal browning, a few small stains. Publisher's quarter cloth and printed boards, in a green half-morocco slipcase.

light marginal browning, a few small stains. Publisher's quarter cloth and printed boards, in a green half-morocco slipcase.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

Inscribed by Einstein to an unnamed recipient.

Einstein inscribed this German translation of Nordmann's Einstein et l'Univers during the anxious months of his return to Germany when he had to decide what country he would settle in.  He had already resigned from the Prussian Academy of Sciences which was considering his expulsion🌜; he was expelled from the Bavarian Academy of Sciences, and his Berlin bank account was taken over by the authorities; his apartment on the Haberlandstrasse was padlocked.

The inscription, probably written from his Belgian vacation spot at Le Coq-sur-Mer, was however light-hearted (in translation): "Good luck with the lecture. I am waiting for the critique from Inge. Please give me your opinion. The writing of books is very difficult, but it is even harder to read them! With very hearty good wishes. A. Einstein. 1931.30.V." The frontispiece, showing Einstein🅘 standing before a wall of bookshelves, is inscribed: "Manager of a renowned bookstore."